Microdon

This article is about the fly genus. For other species with "microdon" in their species name, see Microdon (disambiguation).

Microdon
Microdon mutabilis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Diptera
Family:	Syrphidae
Subfamily:	Microdontinae
Genus:	Microdon Meigen, 1803
Type species
Musca mutabilis Linnaeus, 1758
Subgenera and species groups
Chymophila Macquart, 1834 Dimeraspis Newman, 1838 Megodon Keiser, 1971 Microdon sensu stricto Myiacerapis Hull, 1949 Syrphipogon Hull, 1937 Microdon sensu lato craigheadii-group erythros-group mirabilis-group tarsalis-group virgo-group unplaced species
Synonyms
Aphritis Latreille, 1804 Colacis Gistel, 1848 Scutelligera Spix, 1824 Parmula Heyden, 1825 Scutigerella Haas, 1924

Microdon eggeri, larva, third instar

Hover flies (family Syrphidae) of the genus Microdon are unusual among the Diptera. Like other members of the subfamily, they are myrmecophiles, meaning they inhabit the nests of ants.

There are 249 species known worldwide, with the greatest diversity being from the tropics; 30 species are known from North America, though it is expected that many of these species will be placed in other genera in time, as Microdon has been used as a catch-all for various unrelated species not placed in other genera.